the term of the decree on special status of Donbas expires On March 14

Denis Pushilin (center) and Vladislav Deinego (right)

MOSCOW, 9 March. /TASS/. The delay with implementation of the decree on special status of Donbas will complicate and slow down the peace process, envoys of the Donetsk and Luрansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR) Denis Pushilin and Vladislav Deinego said in a joint statement addressed to participants in the Contract Group on settlement of the situation in Ukraine.

The term of the decree adopted by the Verkhovna Rada (parliament), which outlined a list of Donbas regions with special political and economic statuses expires on March 14. Implementation should be made in compliance with Ukraine’s law on self-governance in certain regions and with the Complex of Measures on implementation of the Minsk agreements.

"Please, remind Poroshenko [president], Yatsenyuk [PM] and Groysman [parliament speaker] about the necessary observing of the Minsk peace plan and of Ukraine’s own laws. Delays here will complicate and slow down the peace process, will make Kiev’s readiness for a dialogue or political settlement doubtful," the statement, published on the LuganskInformCentre’s website, reads.

The envoys said adoption of the decree "should not be used as a reason for unapproved changes to the law on self-governance in some regions." They also ask "to form up immediately working groups" on the economy, exchange of prisoners, constitutional reform and local elections in compliance with the Complex of Measures.

On February 11, the Normandy Quartet negotiations - presidents of Russia, Ukraine and France and German chancellor - in Minsk in various formats (in private and with other delegations) lasted for the total of 16 hours from 7:15p.m. local time.

On February 12, members of the Trilateral Contact Group on the Ukrainian conflict settlement signed a four-page set of measures to implement the earlier Minsk agreements.